Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Rejected Earl Of Dumbarton Title For Archie Over Fear Of 'Dumb' Jokes: Report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle rejected the Earl of Dumbarton title for their first child, Archie, for fear that he would be made fun of with "dumb" jokes, according to a report.
The couple welcomed Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in May 2019, but chose to forgo the title Queen Elizabeth II gave the Duke of Sussex before his 2018 royal wedding. Since Harry is the Earl of Dumbarton himself, he could pass the title on to his son; however, the couple feared the moniker could lead to cruel nicknames.
“They didn’t like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word ‘dumb’ [and] they were worried about how that might look,” a source explained, with another telling The Telegraph that both parents were concerned for their son's sake. “It wasn’t just Meghan who pointed out the potential pitfalls, it also bothered Harry."
After news spread of their decision to refuse the title over potential mockery, the couple became the butt of the jokes they were seemingly trying to avoid. BBC Radio 4’s Nick Robinson couldn't help but laugh while reporting the news, ending the segment by joking: “Dumb and dumber."
Robinson's "dumb and dumber" quip, referencing Jim Carrey's 1994 film, quickly spread, with online users joking that the almighty couple should've named Archie the "Earl of Wokingham.”
Jokes aside, other people were not as amused by Harry and Meghan's decision, with some saying it was an "insult to Dumbarton," according to the outlet. The Earl of Dumbarton is not only a Scottish town but a title of Scottish nobility, with it originating in 1675.
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News of the title drama comes after Meghan claimed she learned while pregnant with Archie that he was not going to be afforded the benefits of being a prince, meaning he wouldn't receive security nor protection.
While talking to Oprah Winfrey in March during the couple's bombshell interview, Meghan said: “They didn’t want [Archie] to be a prince,” seemingly referring to The Firm. And because he wouldn’t have a title, “he wasn’t going to receive security," she continued. "This went on through the last few months of our pregnancy.”
The former actress shared her confusion over why her son wasn't being titled "in the same way other grandchildren had been," adding that "there is no explanation" as to why they changed "the convention for Archie."
Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently came under fire for naming their daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana, as Lilibet was Her Majesty's childhood nickname, which only few referred to her as, including her late husband, Prince Philip.
While Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, intended to honor both Harry's mom, Princess Diana, and grandmother by naming their daughter — who was born Friday, June 4 — after them, royal experts called their decision "quite demeaning" to the Queen.
